Man admits 'goading' vulnerable US citizen into shooting himself over video call
Dylan Phelan, 21, encouraged Travis Dyer to commit suicide on October 30, 2024, after speaking to him for several months via the online platform Discord.
A man has pleaded guilty to encouraging a vulnerable 21-year-old in the US to take his own life with a shotgun via a video call.
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Dylan Phelan, 21, encouraged Travis Dyer to commit suicide on October 30, 2024, after speaking to him for several months via the online platform Discord.
Mr Dyer, from Theriot in Louisiana, was known to be struggling with his mental health during that time.
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Phelan told officers he had taken part in a video call with Mr Dyer and two others based in the States on October 30, 2024, in which he urged him to harm himself and end his life.
Mr Dyer would commit suicide while this call was ongoing.
On March 27, 2025, Phelan attended Elland Road Police Station in Leeds with his parents and reported his involvement in the events that had led to Mr Dyer's death.
But this was not an isolated incident, as a police probe unearthed that Mr Dyer was subjected to sustained and serious encouragement to self-harm by members of the online group.
Phelan said he had been drawn to the darker groups of Discord when quizzed by officers and accepted that his words were a factor in the suicide.
Examination of his mobile phone also revealed the possession of an indecent image of a child and other extreme pornography images.
At Leeds Crown Court today, Phelan pleaded guilty to encouraging suicide.
He previously pleaded guilty to the indecent and extreme images offences at Leeds Magistrates’ Court.
Phelan will be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Friday, May 22, 2026.
The prosecution followed an investigation by West Yorkshire Police.
Alex Johnson, Senior Specialist Prosecutor in the CPS Special Crime Division, said: "This was a deeply disturbing case involving the exploitation of a vulnerable young man through an online platform.
"Dylan Phelan did not merely witness what happened – he actively participated in goading Travis Dyer to take his own life, intending that he would do so.
"Online spaces are not beyond the reach of the law. Encouraging self-harm or suicide, whether in person or through digital platforms, is a serious criminal offence.
"Our thoughts remain with Travis Dyer’s family and friends. We hope that today’s conviction brings them some measure of justice."